Automatic fuel shutoff

ABSTRACT

A combination lever for a carburetor is an integrated shutoff lever and fuel valve. The combination lever includes a longitudinal portion for a handle and a cylindrical portion including a fuel path for the fuel valve. A carburetor casing is shaped to form a valve chamber and a carburetor chamber. The valve chamber supports the cylindrical portion. A directional cavity formed in the cylindrical portion of the combination lever regulates a flow of fuel to the carburetor chamber according to a rotation of the combination lever. At one position the directional cavity opens the fuel path so that fuel flows into the carburetor chamber. At another position the directional cavity closes the fuel path so that the flow of fuel is blocked. The combination lever may also include an abutment portion to engage a switch for completing an electrical shutoff path to an engine coupled to the carburetor.

This application is a continuation under 35 U.S.C §120 and 37 CRF§1.53(b) of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/897,899 filed May 20,2013, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in itsentirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This disclosure relates in general to an automatic fuel shutoff processor system for an internal combustion engine, or more particularly, to amanual shutoff lever integrated with a fuel valve and/or an electricalshutoff switch for an internal combustion engine.

BACKGROUND

Small internal combustion engines are used in a variety of devicesincluding, but not limited to, chainsaws, lawn mowers, weed trimmers,all-terrain vehicles, wood splitters, pressure washers, garden tillers,snow blowers, or other devices. A small engine is often started with apull cord rather than a key. The user pulls the pull cord to rotate arecoil pulley and thereby start the engine. The engine may be stopped ina variety of techniques. For example, the user may lower the throttle toa point that insufficient fuel reaches the engine. The user may let theengine run to allow the engine to eventually run out of gas. The usermay overload the engine to force shutoff. For example, a lawnmowerpushed into heavy grass quickly may be overloaded to the point ofcausing the engine to cease operation.

Finally, the small engine may include a manual kill switch that allowsthe user to immediately stop the engine from running. However,challenges remain in the simplification of kill switches and integrationof kill switches with other controls of the small engine.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Exemplary embodiments of the present embodiments are described hereinwith reference to the following drawings.

FIG. 1 illustrates an example internal combustion engine.

FIG. 2 illustrates a detailed view of a control portion of an exampleinternal combustion engine.

FIG. 3 illustrates another detailed view of a control portion of anexample internal combustion engine.

FIG. 4 illustrates an exploded view of a control portion of an exampleinternal combustion engine.

FIGS. 5 and 6 illustrate an example combination lever.

FIGS. 7 and 8 illustrate an example valve portion of the combinationlever of FIGS. 5 and 6.

FIGS. 9 and 10 illustrate additional example views of the combinationlever of FIGS. 5-8.

FIG. 11 illustrates another view of a control portion in a shutoffstate.

FIGS. 12 and 13 illustrate an example carburetor of an internalcombustion engine.

FIG. 14 illustrates an example flowchart for operation of an internalcombustion engine.

FIG. 15 illustrates an example flowchart for manufacturing thecombination lever.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following example systems may include a carburetor for an internalcombustion engine and/or an automatic fuel shutoff device for thecarburetor. The automatic fuel shutoff device may be a combinationshutoff lever, fuel valve, and electrical shutoff mechanism. A handleportion of the automatic fuel shutoff device may be rotated or otherwisemoved manually by a user. The movement of the handle portion rotates thefuel valve portion in mechanical cooperation with the carburetor tocontrol a flow of fuel to the carburetor. The movement of the handleportion may also be translated to an electrical shutoff mechanism thatactuates a switch to electrically disable operation of the internalcombustion engine.

FIG. 1 illustrates an example internal combustion engine 10. The engine10 may be any type of engine in which the combustion of a fuel (e.g.,gasoline or another liquid fuel) with an oxidizer (e.g., air) in achamber applies a force to a drive component (e.g., piston, turbine, oranother component) of the engine 10. The drive component rotates orotherwise moves to perform work. The engine 10 may power a chainsaw,lawn mower, weed trimmer, all-terrain vehicle, boat engine, go kart,wood splitter, pressure washer, garden tiller, snow blower, or anotherdevice. The engine 10 may be a two-stroke engine or a four-strokeengine. The size of the engine 10 may vary depending on the application.For example, the size of the engine 10 for a chain saw may be 1.5 cubicinches to 2.8 cubic inches, the size of the engine 10 for a lawn mowermay be 50 cubic inches to 149 cubic inches, and the size of the engine10 for an all-terrain vehicle may be 200 cubic inches to 748 cubicinches. The size of the engine 10 may be larger or smaller.

FIG. 1 illustrates example external components of the engine 10 orcoupled with the engine 10. The external components may include a fueltank 12, a fuel line 13, a retractable starter 14, a starter handle 16,an air cleaning system 18, a muffler 20 and a control portion. Thephrases “coupled with” or “coupled to” include directly connected to orindirectly connected through one or more intermediate components.Additional, different, or fewer components may be provided. For example,a governor system, a throttle system, and/or a lubrication system mayalso be included, and an electronic starter system may be used in placeof the retractable starter 14.

The fuel tank 12 stores fuel (e.g., gasoline), which may be delivered byfuel line 13 to a carburetor. The carburetor, which is partially hiddenin FIG. 1, is coupled with the engine 10 behind carburetor cover 106.The fuel line 13 may be a flexible tube made of plastic or rubber andextending from the fuel tank 12 to the carburetor.

The starter handle 16 may be part of the retractable starter 14including a rope or cable coiled around a crankshaft. When the starterhandle 16 is pulled, the crankshaft spins, which starts the engine 10.Other engine starting components may be used with other enginevariations.

The air cleaning system 18 prevents particulates or abrasive matter fromentering the cylinders of the engine 10. Air enters the air cleaningsystem 18 through an air intake port. The air cleaning system 18 mayinclude a mesh screen, foam cleaner, an air filter, or any othercomponents or combinations thereof. After combustion, exhaust air leavesthe engine 10 through the muffler 20. Other engines 10 may eliminatesome components, or substitute or add additional components.

FIG. 2 illustrates a detailed view of the control portion of an exampleinternal combustion engine. The carburetor cover 106 encases thecarburetor and connections to the control portion. The carburetor cover106 includes a window 108. The control portion includes a combinationlever 100, a choke lever 102, and an automatic shutoff switch 110. Thecombination lever 100 and the choke lever 102 may partially pass throughthe window 108 when the carburetor cover 106 is secured to the engine10. The window 108 may be any number of sizes and/or shapes. Forexample, the window 108 may be sized and shaped to allow the combinationlever 100 and the choke lever 102 to move with a sufficient range ofmotion to initiate and/or terminate corresponding functions.

The combination lever 100 may perform multiple functions. Thecombination lever 100 may be a manual fuel shutoff setting. Secondly,the combination lever 100 may integrate a fuel valve for regulating theflow of fuel. Finally, the combination lever 100 may actuate the shutoffswitch 110.

The combination lever 100 may be formed as a single construction. Theterm “single construction” indicates that no moving parts or componentsare included within the combination lever 100. For example, the fuelvalve portion of the combination lever 100 does not pivot, rotate, ormove with respect to the handle portion of the combination lever 100.The term “single construction” may also refer to the process for formingthe combination lever 100. That is, the combination lever 100, includingthe handle portion, the fuel valve portion and/or the switch actuationportion may be formed from a single mold. The combination lever 100 maybe formed from any non-conductive material. The material may have a lowconductivity for heat and/or a low conductivity for electricity. Thematerial may be a rigid material with a low flexibility. Examplematerials include any type of Nylon (e.g., Nylon X), resin, plastic, oranother material. In other embodiments, the combination lever 100 may beformed from more than one part. For example, the fuel valve portion ofthe combination lever 100 and the handle portion of the combinationlever 100 may be separate parts that are attached to one another using,for example, a fastener such as a screw or an adhesive.

FIG. 3 illustrates another detailed view of the control portion of theexample internal combustion engine with the carburetor cover 106removed. FIG. 4 illustrates an exploded view of the control portion of asimilar internal combustion engine.

The combination lever 100 may include a longitudinal portion 151 and acylindrical portion 153. The longitudinal portion 151 may form a handleto receive a force from the user. As the longitudinal portion 151 isrotated one direction (e.g., counter clockwise) the flow of fuel intothe carburetor is increased, and as the longitudinal portion 151 isrotated in another direction (e.g., clockwise), the flow of fuel intothe carburetor is decreased. Other movements of the longitudinal portion151 and/or the cylindrical portion 153 may be initiated to change theflow of fuel into the carburetor (e.g., translational movement of thecylindrical portion 153). On the underside of the cylindrical portion153 a directional cavity is formed in the combination lever 100 andconfigured to regulate a flow of fuel to the carburetor according to arotation of the combination lever 100.

In addition, the longitudinal portion 151 includes an abutment portion154 configured to engage a switch 110 for completing an electricalshutoff path to the engine 10 coupled to the carburetor. The abutmentportion 154 is shown as an abutment protrusion. However, the abutmentportion 154 may be the edge of the combination lever 100. That is, theabutment portion 154 may be flush with the surface of the combinationlever. The abutment portion 154 of the combination lever 100 may engagethe switch 110 in response to rotation of the combination lever 100. Theswitch 110 includes an engagement portion 122, a base portion 126, and acontact tab 128. The switch 110 may complete the electrical shutoff byconnecting a sparkplug of engine 10 to an electrical ground, whichimmediately stops operation of the engine 10. For example, a wire mayextend from the sparkplug of engine 10 to the contact tab 128. Anothercontact of the switch 10 is connected to a chassis of the engine 10.When the switch 110 is engaged, a connection is completed from thechassis of the engine 10 to the sparkplug, disabling the operation ofthe engine 10.

The switch 110 may also include a mounting bracket 124. The mountingbracket 124 couples the switch 110 to the engine 10. The mountingbracket 124 may also couple the combination lever 100 to the engine 10.The mounting bracket 124 may not connect to the engine shroud orcarburetor cover 106. Instead, the mounting bracket may be directlyfastened to the carburetor using fasteners 127 (e.g., bolts, screws,tabs, or welds). The fasteners 127 couple both the switch 110 and thecombination lever 100 to the engine 10 via the fastener receptacles 129.Each of the fastener receptacles 129 may be a hole or recess that issized and optionally threaded to receive the fasteners 127. In oneembodiment, no fastener receptacles 129 are provided, and the mountingbracket is screwed into or affixed to the engine 10. More or fewerportions of the combination lever 100 and/or the switch 110 may beprovided.

The switch 110 is actuated in a direction perpendicular to the movementof the combination lever 100. Because the switch 110 and the combinationlever 100 operate in a perpendicular arrangement, a smaller space isrequired that if the switch 110 and the combination lever 100 operatedin parallel planes.

In one example, the combination lever 100 may be configured to rotate ina horizontal plane and the engagement portion 122 of the switch 110 maybe configured to be engaged in the vertical direction. The verticaldirection is substantially in the direction of gravity, depending on theorientation of the engine 10. The combination lever 100 is configured tolinearly depress the engagement portion 122 substantially in thevertical direction. The term substantially, as used herein, with respectto directions includes a range of directions across a predeterminedangle. Examples of the predetermined angle include 1 degree, 5 degrees,10 degrees, or 0.2 radians. As illustrated, the switch 110 may be anormally opened switch in which a default position of the switch 110 isopen. That is, the engagement portion 122 may be biased such that theswitch 110 is opened (i.e., no electrical path to contact tab 128 hasbeen completed). The engagement portion 122 may be biased by a springwithin the base portion 126.

Alternatively, the engagement portion 122 may be formed from a spring(e.g., a cantilever spring or a single-layered leaf spring). Forexample, the engagement portion 122 may be a tipping point mechanism oran over-center mechanism that is actuated by a low amount of force. Thisallows the switch 110 to be miniature in size, which may be referred toas a microswitch. The engagement portion 122 is anchored to the baseportion 126. The over-action mechanism may produce a crisp feel andclick as the engagement portion 122 receives a force in the downwarddirection and flexes until the internal contact is closed.

FIGS. 5-8 illustrate an example combination lever 100. FIG. 5 is a topview of the combination lever 100. FIG. 6 is a cross section taken fromFIG. 5. FIGS. 7 and 8 illustrate an example valve portion of thecombination lever of FIGS. 5 and 6. FIG. 7 is a cross section taken fromFIG. 6, and FIG. 8 is a cross section taken from FIG. 7.

The cylindrical portion 153 includes a directional cavity 152. Thedirectional cavity 152 may be formed in the combination lever 100. Thedirectional cavity 152 is shown with a dotted line in the top of FIG. 5because the directional cavity 152 may be below the surface. Thedirectional cavity 152 may be a variety of three-dimensional shapes suchas crescent shaped, cubical, rectangular prism, conical, cylindrical, atriangular prism, or another shape. The direction cavity 152 may besemi-circular and extend over a predetermined angle range of thecylindrical portion 152. The predetermined angle range may be 180degrees, 135 degrees, 225 degrees or another angle range. Thedirectional cavity 152 may have a constant depth or a variable depth.Examples for the depth include 1 mm, 3 mm, or another value.

The directional cavity 152 provides a connection between a fuel intakefrom the fuel tank 12 and an output path to the carburetor. In oneembodiment, the directional cavity 152 may be a separate part from thecylindrical portion 153, and the directional cavity 152 may be insertedand fixed into a recess in the cylindrical portion 153.

Various alignments may be used to connect the directional cavity 152with the fuel intake and the output path. The connection may be alignedand may be sealed by a gasket 134, as shown in FIG. 4. In one example,an off position involves no overlap between the direction 152 and thefuel intake and the output path. As the combination lever 100 rotates,the directional cavity 152 and the fuel intake begin to overlap. After apredetermined amount of rotation, the directional cavity 152 also beginsto overlap the output path, which allows a small amount of fuel to enterthe carburetor. As the combination lever 100 rotates more, thedirectional cavity 152 overlaps the output path more until a maximumamount of fuel is allowed to enter the carburetor. A stop member maystop the rotation of the combination lever at or near the maximumsetting.

The fuel intake and the output path are in communication with thedirectional cavity 152 in a direction perpendicular to the rotation ofthe combination lever 100. Therefore, at the directional cavity, theoutput path and the fuel intake are substantially parallel andsubstantially perpendicular to the rotation of the combination lever.The direction perpendicular to the rotation of the combination lever 100may be in the direction of gravity when the engine is positioned on asurface parallel to the surface of the Earth.

The abutment portion 154 may have a variety of shapes. The abutmentportion 154 may be selected to create a low friction engagement with theswitch 110. For example, the abutment portion 154 may include a roundedsurface 122 b, as shown by FIG. 10, configured to create a low frictionengagement with a rounded portion of the engagement portion 122 of theswitch 110. Alternatively, the engagement portion 122 of the switch 110may be configured to engage directly with the surface of the combinationlever 100. In other words, the abutment portion 154 is flush with thesurrounding surface of the combination lever.

The combination lever 100 also includes a handle 155 with a grip member156. The grip member 156 may not be integrally formed with thecombination lever 100. The grip member 156 may include strips of amaterial that allows the user to easily identify and rotate thecombination lever 100. The material may be rubber, plastic, or apolymer. Alternatively, the grip member 156 may be integrally formedwith the combination lever 100. The combination lever 100 may include arecess 158 formed in the cylindrical portion 153. The recess 158 mayreceive a seal (e.g., end cap 142 in FIG. 12) for enclosing andshielding the valve portion including the direction cavity 152 from theenvironment.

FIG. 9 is a side view of the combination lever 100. FIG. 10, asindicated, illustrates a cross section of the combination lever 100. Asshown in FIG. 10, the abutment portion 154 includes rounded surface 122b, which is configured to engage the rounded portion 122 a of the switch10. The rounded surface 122 b may be integrally formed with thecombination lever 100.

FIG. 11 illustrates another view of a control portion in a shutoffstate. The mounting bracket 124 is configured to secure the combinationlever 100 and the switch 110 directly to the carburetor 150. Themounting bracket 124 is fastened to the carburetor 150 at a positionabove the combination lever 100 and below the choke lever 102.

The switch 110 may be normally in the open position, which correspondsto the engagement portion 122 biased outward, as shown by the dottedlines in FIG. 11. When the combination lever 100 is rotated, thecombination lever 100 slides above the engagement portion 122 anddepresses the engagement portion in substantially the verticaldirection. When the engagement portion is displaced a predetermineddistance in the vertical direction (e.g., 1 mm, 2 mm, or another value),the switch 110 moves to the closed position. The closed positioncompletes an electric path from the chassis of the engine 10 through thecontact tab 128 to a spark plug of the engine 10, which immediatelycauses the engine 10 to cease operation.

FIG. 12 illustrates an example carburetor 150 of the internal combustionengine 10. The carburetor 150, which may incorporate the control portionfor the carburetor 150, may include the choke lever 102, the combinationlever 100, a fuel intake 144, an end cap 142, and various othercomponents. The combination lever 100 may be referred to as a fueldelivery system for the carburetor 150. FIG. 13 illustrates a crosssection of FIG. 11. FIG. 13 further illustrates a sealing gasket 134, afuel valve chamber 138, a carburetor chamber 133, a carburetor casing132, an input nozzle 146, an output tube 136, and various othercomponents.

The carburetor 150 includes a chassis or casing 132 that is shaped toform the fuel valve chamber 138 and the carburetor chamber 133, whichmay be referred to as a fuel bowl. The fuel valve chamber 138 supportsthe cylindrical portion 153 of the combination lever 100. The fuel valvechamber 138 supports the sealing gasket 134, which is configured toalign the directional cavity 152 of the cylindrical portion 153 with thefuel intake path, including the input nozzle 146 and the intake 144, andwith the output tube 136 that leads to the carburetor chamber 133.

The sealing gasket 134 may be disk-shaped or cylindrical. The sealinggasket 134 includes a plurality of through holes. A first of the throughholes corresponds to the fuel intake path. A second of the through holescorresponds to the output tube 136. The first and second through holesare in configurable alignment with the directional cavity 152 throughthe rotation of the combination lever 100. Additional through holes maybe included to secure the sealing gasket 134 to the casing 132 of thecarburetor 150 by mating to protrusions of the casing 132 in the fuelvalve chamber 138.

The output tube 136 connects to the fuel valve chamber 138 in a verticaldirection. The input nozzle 146 is coupled with an input tube 147, whichconnects to the fuel valve chamber 138 in the vertical direction. Thevertical direction is perpendicular to a plane including the rotation ofthe combination lever 100.

The carburetor 150 may be a single-barrel carburetor. The carburetor 150is configured to mix fuel and air in a predetermined ratio of fuel toair. If the proportion of fuel to air is too high, the engine 10 mayflood. If the proportion of fuel to air is too low, the engine 10 maydie or be damaged. In order to regular the ratio of fuel to air, thecarburetor 150 controls the flow of air into the carburetor chamber 133.

The amount of air into the carburetor chamber 133 is controlled by anadjustable throttle plate that extends across the carburetor chamber133. A throttle system (not shown) rotates the adjustable throttleplate. The carburetor chamber 133 includes a narrow portion (venturi),which creates a relative vacuum that draws in fuel from a jet. Theventuri may be tuned to change the metered amount of fuel that is drawnthrough the jet at full throttle.

When the engine is cold, a rich fuel mixture may be needed to start theengine 10. A choke plate, which is configured to cover the venturi,forms a choke valve to control a flow of air into the carburetor chamber133. The venturi is positioned between the choke plate and the fuelvalve chamber 138. When the choke is activated by the choke lever 102,more fuel is drawn by the jet, which allows the cold engine to fire onceor twice. Then the choke lever 102 is rotated to open the choke plate,which causes the engine 10 to run normally. The choke lever 102 may beconfigured to rotate in a plane substantially parallel to the rotationof the combination lever 100.

The carburetor chamber 133 may also include a float. The float isconfigured to maintain a continually replenished supply of fuel. Thefloat, which floats in the fuel, controls an inlet valve. As the fuel isused up, the float begins to sink, which opens the inlet valve andallows more fuel to enter the carburetor chamber 133.

FIG. 14 illustrates an example flowchart for operation of an internalcombustion engine. The acts in FIG. 14 may be performed by a combinationlever or another combination of components of the engine 10. Additional,different, or fewer acts may be provided. The acts are performed in theorder shown or other orders. The acts may also be repeated.

At act S101, the combination lever receives a force at a longitudinalhandle of the combination lever. In addition to the longitudinal handle,the combination lever includes a fuel valve portion with a fuel path anda protrusion for actuating a shutoff switch. The fuel valve portion, thelongitudinal handle, and the protrusion are integrally formed. The forceis received from a user of the engine. The force may be translated intoa rotational motion of the combination lever.

At act S103, the combination lever rotates the cylindrical portion ofthe combination lever in response to the force received at thelongitudinal handle. The cylindrical portion receives the flow of fuelat a cavity formed in the cylindrical portion from a fuel intake pathand dispenses the flow of fuel from the cavity formed in the cylindricalportion to a path to a carburetor chamber. At least at the fluidconnections to the cylindrical portions, the path to the carburetorchamber is substantially parallel to the fuel intake path.

At act S105, a flow of fuel through the flow path is controlled by therotation of the combination lever. The fuel path connects a fuel valvechamber to a carburetor chamber. Depending on a position of thecombination lever, the fuel valve allows the fuel to flow into thecarburetor chamber or block the flow into the carburetor chamber. Theflow of fuel into the carburetor chamber may be enabled at an ONposition of the combination lever and blocked at a blocking position ofthe combination lever. The blocking position may be a predeterminedangular distance (e.g., 45 degrees) from the ON position.

At act S107, the combination lever initiates an actuation of anautomatic shutoff switch. Depending on the position of the combinationlever, the protrusion engages the automatic shutoff switch. The defaultposition of the automatic shutoff switch is open so that a circuitthrough the automatic shutoff switch is not complete. When theprotrusion actuates the automatic shutoff switch, the circuit iscompleted, allowing an electrical current to flow through the switch,which grounds the engine. When the engine is grounded, at least onepiston does not fire, and the device powered by the engine is disabled.

FIG. 15 illustrates an example flowchart for manufacturing a combinationlever. Additional, different, or fewer acts may be provided. The actsare performed in the order shown or other orders. The acts may also berepeated. At act S201, a mold for a combination lever is formed. Themold includes a handle portion, a fuel valve portion, and a switchabutment portion. The handle portion is shaped to form the longitudinalportion of the combination lever. The fuel valve portion is shaped toform the fuel valve of the combination lever, including the directionalcavity. The switch abutment portion is shaped to form a protrusion inthe combination lever for abutting the engagement portion of the switch.

At act S203, a deformable material is injected or poured into the mold.The deformable material may be a liquid such as plastic, thermoplasticpolymers, thermosetting polymers, silicone, or resin. The mold mayinclude a release agent that prevents the deformable material frombonding to the mold as the deformable material hardens. The deformablematerial takes the shape of the mold. In one example, as the deformablematerial cools, the deformable material hardens to a rigid material. Inanother example, heating, curing or another technique is used to hardenthe deformable material into the combination lever.

At act S205, the combination lever including the hardened material isremoved from the mold. The combination lever includes a manual shutofflever including a grip, a fuel valve including a fuel path, and anelectrical shutoff mechanism for engaging a microswitch. The movement ofthe manual shutoff lever is translated to the fuel valve to stop theflow of fuel to the carburetor, and/or the movement of the manualshutoff lever may be translated to an electrical shutoff mechanism,which electrically disables operation of the internal combustion engine.

At act S207, the combination lever is secured to the carburetor usingfasteners and/or a mounting bracket. A single mounting bracket maysecure the manual shutoff lever, the fuel valve, and the electricalshutoff mechanism to the carburetor.

The illustrations of the embodiments described herein are intended toprovide a general understanding of the structure of the variousembodiments. The illustrations are not intended to serve as a completedescription of all of the elements and features of apparatus and systemsthat utilize the structures or methods described herein. Many otherembodiments may be apparent to those of skill in the art upon reviewingthe disclosure. Other embodiments may be utilized and derived from thedisclosure, such that structural and logical substitutions and changesmay be made without departing from the scope of the disclosure.Additionally, the illustrations are merely representational and may notbe drawn to scale. Certain proportions within the illustrations may beexaggerated, while other proportions may be minimized. Accordingly, thedisclosure and the figures are to be regarded as illustrative ratherthan restrictive.

While this specification contains many specifics, these should not beconstrued as limitations on the scope of the invention or of what may beclaimed, but rather as descriptions of features specific to particularembodiments of the invention. Certain features that are described inthis specification in the context of separate embodiments can also beimplemented in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, variousfeatures that are described in the context of a single embodiment canalso be implemented in multiple embodiments separately or in anysuitable sub-combination. Moreover, although features may be describedabove as acting in certain combinations and even initially claimed assuch, one or more features from a claimed combination can in some casesbe excised from the combination, and the claimed combination may bedirected to a sub-combination or variation of a sub-combination.

Similarly, while operations are depicted in the drawings and describedherein in a particular order, this should not be understood as requiringthat such operations be performed in the particular order shown or insequential order, or that all illustrated operations be performed, toachieve desirable results. In certain circumstances, multitasking andparallel processing may be advantageous. Moreover, the separation ofvarious system components in the embodiments described above should notbe understood as requiring such separation in all embodiments, and itshould be understood that the described program components and systemscan generally be integrated together in a single software product orpackaged into multiple software products.

One or more embodiments of the disclosure may be referred to herein,individually and/or collectively, by the term “invention” merely forconvenience and without intending to voluntarily limit the scope of thisapplication to any particular invention or inventive concept. Moreover,although specific embodiments have been illustrated and describedherein, it should be appreciated that any subsequent arrangementdesigned to achieve the same or similar purpose may be substituted forthe specific embodiments shown. This disclosure is intended to cover anyand all subsequent adaptations or variations of various embodiments.Combinations of the above embodiments, and other embodiments notspecifically described herein, will be apparent to those of skill in theart upon reviewing the description.

The Abstract of the Disclosure is provided to comply with 37 C.F.R.§1.72(b) and is submitted with the understanding that it will not beused to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims. Inaddition, in the foregoing Detailed Description, various features may begrouped together or described in a single embodiment for the purpose ofstreamlining the disclosure. This disclosure is not to be interpreted asreflecting an intention that the claimed embodiments require morefeatures than are expressly recited in each claim. Rather, as thefollowing claims reflect, inventive subject matter may be directed toless than all of the features of any of the disclosed embodiments. Thus,the following claims are incorporated into the Detailed Description,with each claim standing on its own as defining separately claimedsubject matter.

It is intended that the foregoing detailed description be regarded asillustrative rather than limiting and that it is understood that thefollowing claims including all equivalents are intended to define thescope of the invention. The claims should not be read as limited to thedescribed order or elements unless stated to that effect. Therefore, allembodiments that come within the scope and spirit of the followingclaims and equivalents thereto are claimed as the invention.

We claim:
 1. An apparatus comprising: a combination lever including alongitudinal handle and a cylindrical portion, wherein the cylindricalportion is supported by a fuel valve chamber of a carburetor; and acavity formed in the cylindrical portion of the combination lever andconfigured to regulate a flow of fuel according to a rotation of thecombination lever; wherein the cavity of the cylindrical portion of thecombination lever is configured to receive the flow of fuel from a fuelintake and deliver the flow of fuel, through the cavity, to thecarburetor through an output path, wherein the fuel intake and theoutput path are in a direction substantially perpendicular to therotation of the combination lever.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1, furthercomprising: an abutment portion of the combination lever configured toengage a switch for completing an electrical shutoff path to an enginecoupled to the carburetor.
 3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein theabutment portion of the combination lever is configured to linearlyengage the switch in response to the rotation of the combination lever.4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the abutment portion is configuredto vertically depress a rounded portion of the switch to complete anelectrical connection to kill the engine coupled with the carburetor. 5.The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the combination lever, thelongitudinal handle and the cylindrical portion are a singleconstruction.
 6. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising: amounting bracket configured to couple the combination lever to anengine.
 7. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising: a gripconfigured to receive a force from a user to rotate the combinationlever.
 8. A method for manufacturing a combination lever, the methodcomprising: forming a mold for the combination lever, wherein the moldincludes a shape of a longitudinal handle and a cylindrical portion witha directional cavity formed in the cylindrical portion and configured toregulate a supply of fuel according to a rotation of the combinationlever, wherein the cylindrical portion is configured to be supported bya fuel valve chamber of a carburetor, and the directional cavity isconfigured to receive the supply of fuel from a fuel intake and deliverthe flow of fuel to the carburetor through an output path, wherein thefuel intake and the output path are in a direction substantiallyperpendicular to the rotation of the combination lever; adding adeformable material into the mold, wherein the deformable materialhardens over time to become a hardened material; and removing thecombination lever including the hardened material from the mold.
 9. Themethod of claim 8, further comprising: curing the deformable material tothe hardened material.
 10. The method of claim 8, wherein the deformablematerial is plastic, thermoplastic polymers, thermosetting polymers,silicone, or resin.
 11. The method of claim 8, wherein the mold includesa shape for an abutment portion.
 12. The method of claim 8, furthercomprising: mounting the combination lever to an engine.
 13. A methodcomprising: receiving a force at a longitudinal handle of a combinationlever; rotating a cylindrical portion of the combination lever inresponse to the force received at the longitudinal handle, wherein thelongitudinal handle is integral with the cylindrical portion; receivinga flow of fuel at a three-dimensionally shaped cavity formed in thecylindrical portion from a first path; and dispensing the flow of fuelfrom the three-dimensionally shaped cavity formed in the cylindricalportion to a second path according to a position of the combinationlever, wherein the first path is substantially parallel to the secondpath.
 14. The method of claim 13, wherein the position is a firstposition, the method further comprising: initiating an actuation of anautomatic shutoff switch in response to a second position of thecombination lever.
 15. The method of claim 14, wherein the automaticshutoff switch is configured to complete an electrical connection tocease operation of an engine.
 16. The method of claim 13, wherein thethree-dimensionally shaped cavity of the cylindrical portion of thecombination lever is configured to receive the flow of fuel from a fuelintake and deliver the flow of fuel, through the three-dimensionallyshaped cavity, through an output path, wherein the fuel intake and theoutput path are in a direction substantially perpendicular to therotation of the combination lever.
 17. The method of claim 16, whereinan input of the three-dimensionally shaped cavity and an output of thethree-dimensionally shaped cavity are parallel.
 18. The method of claim13, further comprising: engaging a switch for completing an electricalshutoff path to an engine.
 19. The method of claim 18, wherein thethree-dimensionally shaped cavity is semi-circular or has a variabledepth.